


The Ghost

by Lomeniel



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hallucinations, Insecurity, horrible workplace, office life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-25 01:42:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22007896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lomeniel/pseuds/Lomeniel
Summary: A mysterious, dark-haired stranger keeps showing up in your life, but no-one else seems to notice him. Are you going crazy from work stress?
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Reader, Loki Laufeyson/Reader, Loki Laufeyson/You, Loki Odinson/Reader, Loki Odinson/You
Comments: 7
Kudos: 68





	The Ghost

The air was chilly, and the first snowflakes of the year danced in the wind. Inside the office life was hectic as always before Christmas, and even more so for you because Nina had so graciously gone and fractured her arm, and constantly complained how much it hurt whenever she did anything other than gossip with Jeanette and Nadia.

Silently and seamlessly her workload shifted over to you, and you were really reaching your breaking point, even resorting to eating your lunch at the desk, which never ever happened before. 

But when a big client invited the entire office to a celebratory lunch, you felt you had to go. After all, the company was now in your portfolio, since Nina (apparently) was unfit to answer e-mails.

“Hey! Wait up!” You walked as fast as you could – well, limping was more like it, with your busted foot that always seemed to act up at the most inconvenient times.  
The rest of the group were walking at a brusque pace, and you were pretty sure they weren’t leaving you behind on purpose. Though, some times, when your mind really got going, you wondered.

Completely focused on not losing your colleagues, you didn't see the man that stood in the doorway. The collision was spectacular, and the only reason you didn't land on you ass in an icy puddle on the pavement was because of the stranger's sharp reflexes.

His hands were gentle, but strong, and his grip around your waist left you both terrified and breathless. When he had made sure you were on your feet and unharmed, he let go of you and stepped back to give you some space.

"I'm so sorry!" you blurted, curtseying out of surprise and gratitude. Feeling your cheeks burn, you looked away and stepped to the side to let the man pass.  
He nodded once. “Don’t worry about it,” he replied, straightening his tie and smoothing his jacket. “No damage done. But maybe next time, watch where you're going?"

"Yeah. Yes, of course. Thank you."

The man smiled and left to the street behind you. Alone in the doorway, you closed your eyes and breathed just to get back to reality, before you hurried to keep up with your colleagues again. When you caught up with Nadia, you were breathing hard and your limp was more pronounced that before.

“What?” she asked, looking over her shoulder.

“Nothing. I just bumped into a man in the doorway.” With an apologetic smile, you followed after her. Once you got close enough, you continued: “Did you not see him? Tall, lean, dark hair?” 

Closing your eyes, you conjured up his face in your mind. He really had the most piercing eyes you had ever seen. “He was gorgeous,” you added, careful to keep your voice low enough that he wouldn’t hear you in case he was still near enough.

Nadia grinned. “Probably not as gorgeous as Parker. I met him on Saturday, and –“ She launched into a monologue so impenetrable even Iron Man’s plasma cutters wouldn’t get through. 

You sighed, knowing your allotted talking time was spent, and you cast a quick glance over your shoulder. Of course the man was gone.

The lunch was a boring affair, as you sat through most of the meal silently after Tim from archives eyed your plate of pasta with a frown and asked in all seriousness: "Are you really gonna eat all that?"

Luckily Mary, who sat next to him, overheard and elbowed him in the ribs before you could answer, but it still left you painfully aware of how you were eating.

The rest of the day was a muted pillow of disappointment and heartbreak. When you finally got home late that afternoon, you couldn't even muster the energy to make dinner. Instead you poured a bowl of corn flakes and collapsed on the sofa.

Forcing the tears of frustration and exhaustion back, you picked up the drawing pad and pencils from where you'd shoved them under the sofa the last time you tried to draw a picture. Nothing calmed you like the sound of graphite over paper, and you made your way through some warm-up sketches before starting on the main picture.

As the face slowly emerged on the paper you started talking. You often spoke out loud when you were drawing or embroidering, usually about something boring and trivial, just to get it out of your system. "So today was a total nightmare," you began, while applying a little more shadow under his eyes. "But Tim only said the truth, I guess. I do eat too much. Could lose a few pounds. But I don't care," you added defiantly, not sure if you believed your own statement. "I'm.. If only... then maybe I'd meet him again, and he'll smile at me and... Ugh!" You groaned to the drawing, dropping the pencil onto the table. "As if he would ever look at me. If I hadn't been so clumsy, he wouldn't have noticed me at all!" 

Looking at the drawing, you shook your head. "I just can't get your eyes right! Why did you have to be so pretty, huh? I can't get you out of my mind, even though I only met you for like a few seconds. Wonder if you're as kind..." You lifted your eyes to look through the window. The winter sky was unusually clear, with stars blinking over the line of trees behind the playground. 

You sighed, wishing you had someone to talk to, but making friends had never been your forte, and the relationship with your mother did not include phone calls concerning mysterious men who took your breath away.

Returning to the portrait, you squinted and blew air through your nose. "What's your name? You looked kinda familiar." You thought for a bit, sinking deeper down in your sofa. "It's got to be an epic name, hasn't it, with a face like that? If only you could come and sweep me off my feet." 

With a short laugh, you shook your head. "Come on, Y/N. Don't be daft. You can't go ahead and get obsessed just because he's pretty. And because he smiled at you." 

A week later you were late for work, half running while trying to eat breakfast and fill your body with caffeine at the same time. You didn't pay attention to your surroundings at all; focusing on unscrewing the bottle cap with only one hand without spilling, so naturally you crashed into a black wall of a man, only just managing to keep the cola from soaking his no doubt expensive coat. 

Instead it hit your trainers. The instant wet socks made your toes curl. "I'm so sorry," you began, only then looking at his face.

"Oh, it is I who should apologise. I stopped without warning. Here. Let me help you with that," the man said with a smile, and your heart almost stopped. It was the man from before, and you watched with large eyes as the cola bottle you had dropped filled back up.

He held it out for you to take, and looked at you with such a regal face that you had to fight the urge to curtsey. 

"Thank... thank you," you stuttered. "You didn't - I could've..." This was odd. You never fumbled for words, but his benevolent smile threw you off balance.

"It was my pleasure," he said, calm as if nothing had just happened. "I could not just leave you be when I saw you were in distress, but we really should stop bumping into each other like this. There's better ways to meet."

You blinked. His voice was precisely how you had remembered it, and boy, you had thought about it a lot. "W-well, thank yo again, Mr -"

"Call me Loki," he interrupted, and held out his hand. 

You took it gingerly while your head swam. "Y/N."

"Enchanté." Instead of shaking your hand, he brought it to his lips, not touching it, but you felt his breath ghost over your skin. A wave of goosebumps rose and fell over your body.

After looking at each other for a few, awkward seconds, Loki cleared his throat and sidestepped. "I must go, but I hope to see you again. Farewell, fair lady."  
You nodded, managing a small smile. "Uh, yeah. Bye."

He left and was quickly swallowed by the crowd, but you stayed, looking after him still, until another colourful lightning flashed and icy rain started pouring down.

That's... that's Loki! Your brain fizzed with the new information registered. But it couldn't be true. He simply didn't walk amongst normal people like that.

Spotting Nadia a bit further down the road, you hobbled after her and tapped her arm. "Did you see that man? He was... That was Loki."

Nadia bare looked at you, she just kept walking until the two of you were all caught up with the rest of the office. "You're joking."

"No, I'm not. He - Look, there he is!" He was standing by a kiosk, looking at a newspaper. You tried to show her without being obvious, but apparently she needed new glasses or something.

"Where? I don't see anybody."

"Shh... not so loud. The kiosk, over by the fountain."

Nadia rolled her eyes. "I only see that fat dude with the ridiculous beard."

You gaped at her. She couldn't be that blind. But when you looked back, he was gone. "You missed him" you muttered, slightly concerned that you had imagined it all. "He said his name was Loki."

Nadia snorted. "Loki - Loki? Like... Avengers - Loki?"

"Yes," you replied hesitantly, picking up on the ridicule in her voice.

"Are you drunk? He's not here, and if he was, do you really think he would smile to an ordinary woman? Like you? That was not Loki." She shook her head, making her blonde curls dance around her face. The rest of the group laughed too, and your stomach sank.

Of course she was right. Why would he even be in your dreary part of town? And if he happened to have an errand there, he wouldn't even look twice at a mortal woman. Least of all you. You'd caught a glimpse of the mighty warrior Sif once, and the Valkyrie had been on TV after the battle of Thanos. That was proof enough.   
Muttering into the collar of your coat, you fought to keep your voice neutral: "Well, he said it."

"Come on! You can be so naïve! The man lied to you. Obviously," Charles replied, rolling his eyes. You felt your stomach sink even lower. Of course they wouldn't believe you. Hell, you barely believed yourself. 

Jeanette threw herself into the discussion. "Yeah, Y/N, how come none of us saw him, huh? And why haven't the media picked up on it? I mean, if he's here.. Ugh, you can be such a moron sometimes."

Well fuck you, Jeanette. You didn't grace them with an answer, just turned and left to hang up your coat. As the door to the break room closed, you heard her giggle in the hallway.

"That wasn't nice," Charles told Jeanette, and you smiled. "Even if it is true." Your smile fell.

Fortunately that was the worst of it, even though you could feel them laughing at your back for the rest of the day. But soon you were too busy to pay attention to them. The eight hours flew by, and you wasted no time getting home so you didn't have to spend more time with your colleagues.

You brought your tea into the living room, intending to watch TV and just let your mind fly, but whenever you stopped focusing on the programme, the same face kept appearing in your thoughts. That kind smile, those warm eyes... it felt silly now, and you almost felt embarrassed how much that small gesture meant to you.  
"Thank you," you muttered out loud, trying to sort your thoughts and emotions. "If it was you, Loki, know that I am grateful."

You looked out of the window. The sky was almost clear, and you wondered if you could actually make out the few stars or if it was just your eyes playing a trick on you. It wouldn't be the first time. You sighed and rested your chin in your hands, wedging your elbows in the corners of the windowsill. Loki. Had it really been him? Or were your co-workers right? They probably were. You sighed again. What you wouldn't give for a friend outside of the work environment. But with your hours and all that extra work, you were simply too tired to go out and be social.

What if Loki was your friend, your brain suddenly fired, and you chuckled from the absurdity.

"Yeah," you said out loud, fogging the window with your breath. "Wouldn't that be something? Hey, Loki, how was your day? You know what Jeanette did today? Yeah, I know, right? She's crazy!" Your stomach growled in response.

The imaginary conversation made you laugh, and the dread that had lodged itself in your chest lessened a bit. Picturing Loki's bitch face, or his dramatic response did wonders for your mood, and you continued the conversation as you prepared supper.

"I know, I know," you said into the air. "I need to say no. But if I don't do it, no one else will, and then I have to fix it anyway, and with much shorter deadline."

Loki's imagined answer came as a click of the tongue, and you looked shamefully into the boiling water. "Excuses. Yeah yeah. But it's not easy," you exclaimed, spinning around and waving the wooden spoon like a magic wand.

"Oh, don't give me that look. It's not. Expectations, routine - hell, I just wanna be liked. And I don't want to come across as difficult, but..." You trailed off and continued your cooking in silence. Saying all that out loud had lifted at least ten pounds off your shoulders. The next time you saw Loki, you decided to thank him for listening, even though he didn't know about it.

Ladling spaghetti onto your plate, you nodded to yourself. "Still," you muttered as you grabbed a spoon and a fork and put them in your pocket while balancing the plate and a glass and a bottle of cola in your hand and walked carefully to the table. "Still. It would be nice to have someone to eat with once in a while." Snorting into the food, you stuffed your mouth and scoffed. "God, you're pathetic, Y/N."

Another forkful of spaghetti. "Having imaginary conversations like that." But you couldn't deny that it helped. "What would Loki think if he knew, huh, Y/N? He'd laugh and roll his eyes, that's what."

But Loki did neither. He was standing fixed in the chamber of the Bifrost, listening to you ramble through the mind of Heimdall, who had summoned Loki when you had started to talk, uncertain if you were the result of Loki's more recent mischief.

It soon became clear, however, that that was not the case, as Loki's eyes gained a softness Heimdall hadn't seen in him in eons. 

Careful to keep his senses focused on the rest of the nine realms, he tried to give Loki some sort of privacy, but when you eventually fell asleep to a mindless baking programme on Netflix, he looked at Loki with curiosity and concern.

"Not at word to anyone about this," Loki snapped.

Heimdall nodded. He wouldn't want to risk Loki's wrath, and he was never one for gossip anyway. "Of course. May I ask what you will do?" The question lying underneath was "Will you hurt the mortal?" but he knew better than to ask that.

For a moment Loki looked conflicted, then his face settled with a decision. "She is safe," he replied to the silent question. "Let me know if she... prays again."

A couple of days later, after an especially frustrating day, you sat at the dinner table with tears in your eyes. You mentally looked around to make sure you were alone, cringing from the stupidity, because you were always alone. It felt so daft, but you craved an outlet. "Hey, Loki, it's me again," you said, pretending the two of you were on the phone.

His imaginary answer was silent, but you knew he was ready to listen, so you began to pour everything from your mind into his care. 

In Valhalla, Loki stood by the gate to the Bifrost, listening through Heimdall once again.

"Just don't wanna be alone right now." You sank deeper into the sofa and pulled a cushion close to your chest. It was the closest you had come to a hug in a while. Picturing him in the chair on the other side of the table, you smiled, both from embarrassment and from pretend happiness.

"I'm just so tired," you continued, answering his imaginary question. "If only I didn't need the money. I'd quit in a heartbeat." 

The flashing blue light from an ambulance danced over the wallpaper, creating a pretty pattern that you followed with your eyes. When it disappeared, you sniffed and closed your eyes in an attempt at muting the prickly burn that lurked under your eyelids. It was of no use. When you opened them again a tiny tear dripped from your lashes, and then another one. "It's too... too much." 

Clearing your throat, you willed your voice back to normal. It almost worked, and when you continued, it only cracked a couple of times.

You told him everything that had happened that week; how your boss insisted you carry more than your share, how people refused to learn new stuff because you could already do it, so what was the point; how you felt left out of the gang, how they never included you when something social was happening, and lastly - and that was when your voice broke for real - those comments from Tim.

"I know I'm not thin, but why shouldn't I get to eat like normal people?"

You imagined him watching you with kind eyes. "Oh, who am I kidding? I'm not even half-pretty. And you know what? That's okay. Because I'm so much more," you muttered proudly before sinking back down again. Burying your face in the cushion, you thought what you refused to say out loud: but I desperately want to be.

The conversations became a nightly habit, a way to unload and keep your sanity, and you always turned to Loki to vent. In your imagination, he didn't mind at all. In reality, he did mind. Not your conversation as such, but he grew more and more appalled by your stories, and slowly he formed a plan in his mind. As the weeks passed, he realised he liked you. A lot. You were the only mortal who talked to him as an equal and without suspicion, so he did his best to watch your back. Always from afar, though he had a hunch that you probably spotted him a few times.

More than once he overheard your colleagues talk about you and to you, and it made him fume, but he held back. He was afraid he would drive you away, and besides, his plan wasn't ready to unfold just yet. He still had to get you onboard.

The temperatures dropped. Work loads increased. Everyone fought to meet their winter goals. You were working harder than ever, hardly making a dent in the piles of paper and e-mails. But you soldiered on, mostly because you didn't know how not to. Not until you looked up and saw a moose standing in the middle of the office. Two seconds away from screaming, you blinked and looked again. There was no moose. However, there was Lynn, showing off her new, brown coat and poofy hat. 

"Jesus, Y/N. You need a break. If you continue like this, you'll work yourself to death." In frustration both that your boss took advantage of you like that, and that you allowed it, you felt your chest implode. It was hard to breathe. Closing your eyes, you looked inwards, searching for the hatch to close off the tears, or worse: hysterical laughter. 

For a few minutes you just sat, breathing, submerging yourself into the fragile serenity spun inside your chaotic mind. When you opened your eyes again, you found yourself able to work again, if only at half pace, but it was better than to collapse from exhaustion. 

It was dark when your day finally ended, but instead of going home, you decided to treat yourself. You weren't ready to wallow in your own self-pity and weakness just yet.

The wind blew fallen leaves everywhere, it felt like being inside an autumn advert. Except that this advert sent icy gusts through you that settled in your spine.   
There was only one thing you wanted now, and you would be damned if anything was going to stop you on your quest.

Inside, it was warm and toasty. The fresh cakes on the counter spread their sweet and spicy scents through the room, making your mouth water. It almost smelled like Christmas, you thought with a satisfied smile, all worries dissipating in a puff of cinnamon and cardamom. This really was your favourite time of the year.

Pulling your beanie off, you ruffled your hair slightly. It was of no use: once the beanie hair had taken hold, no amount of ruffling would bring the volume back. You caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror menu and blew a wisp of hair from your face. It lifted slightly and promptly settled back on your cheek. At least here you would be alone. No-one at work would ever even think about this place.

"What can I get you?" the old lady behind the counter asked, drawing you from your thoughts.

"Oh, hey. Yeah..." The menu held several temptations, but after a moment's deliberation you made your decision. "Can I have a... uh, spicy breadcake and, um... one caramel cocoa, please?"

The lady nodded as she punched your order. "Would you like whipped cream on that?"

"Oh, yes, please!"

"Right. That will be $ 8.25. Thank you. Go grab a seat. I'll be right over when your chocolate is done."

You chose a seat in the back of the bakery, partially hidden behind a tall yucca covered in tinsel. It was bliss. Sure, the bakery was busy enough, but the quiet buzz of voices mixed with the soft rendition of The Christmas Song lulled you into a thoughtless trance. For the first time in weeks, you could breathe.

"One peppermint cocoa, please." The voice floated through the protective walls of your bubble and snaked its way into your brain, almost making you spill your hot chocolate. You would recognise that voice anywhere.

Trying to turn in your chair without being conspicuous, you cast a quick glance over your shoulder. There were no-one there.

"Great," you muttered. "Now I've starting to hallucinate voices too." The calm you had felt just seconds ago vanished. What was left was a sudden unease and a brain spinning out of orbit. You closed your eyes, trying to catch the tail of the calmness disappearing over the horizon.

"Hello, Y/N."

Your eyes snapped open. In front of you stood Loki, holding a large, steaming mug and a plate filled with cookies.

"Loki." Your voice was nothing more than a breath. 

He was standing there, looking immaculate and smiling kindly at you, and suddenly you were acutely aware of what you hadn't managed to capture in your drawing. Behind those gentle eyes lay a power you were unable to grasp, and it frightened you. 

Loki gestured to the empty chair across from you. "May I?"

"Y-yeah. Please. I-I mean, if you want to."

"Thank you," he replied softly and sat down.

"What brings you here?" you asked in a sudden outburst of courage. To be honest you had already written off the encounter as another hallucination, but figured you could play along. The worst that could happen was that the other customers noticed you talking to yourself. 

Loki leaned conspiratorially over the table. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Mhm." You nodded for emphasis. 

"They have the best cocoa in all of the nine realms."

You blinked, somewhat taken aback by that answer. "Ah."

"And also," he continued, "I hoped to run into you again."

There it was. If there was a speck of doubt that this whole encounter was a hallucination before, it was gone now. Loki, the real Loki, would never think twice about you. "That's nice," you replied, somewhat deflated. 

He frowned. "Is something wrong?"

You let out a small laugh. "Oh no. Nothing at all. I'm just a little bit tired of my brain playing tricks on me."

Tilting his head, he watched you with what you could almost describe as professional curiosity. He was the Trickster after all. "What do you mean?"

Running a hand over your eyes, you shook your head slightly. "I can't believe I have to explain this to myself. You're only in my head, Loki. I've spent so much time pretending we were friends lately that... It wouldn't be the first time I saw something that wasn't there," you muttered, remembering the moose in the office with a shudder. "Still," you said out loud, giving Loki a tired smile, "if I'm to see ghosts, it's nice that it's you."

"Y/N..." He rolled his eyes and smiled crookedly. "If I was a ghost, I wouldn't be able to do this, wold I?" Gently, so very gently, he took your hand and held it in his.  
His hand was soft, and at first his touch sent a flash through your arm, but you didn't react with more than a sad smile. It soon became clear to Loki that your mind was set, and you weren't going to change it today, so he decided to play along for now. 

Although the beginning was kinda awkward, the rest of the meal became a relief for you. You found you could talk to Loki, really talk, and since he was just in your head, you did not guard your words as you usually did. And Loki listened. With every word you uttered, you felt a little bit more weight leave your shoulders.

When you had nothing more to say, you exhaled and rested your head in your hand. Loki sat straight as a pole on his chair, his knuckles white. His obvious resentment on your behalf made you warm inside.

"Thank you for listening, Loki."

"Anything for you, Y/N."

You raised an eyebrow, amused by your own pretentious imagination. "Right. Well, I better get home. I'm getting hungry, and cake isn't enough." You chuckled from his expression. "You wouldn't like me much when I'm hangry," you added for his benefit.

"Well then: we'd better get you home. Can't have you demolish the city in your hunger. My apologies. That was inappropriate of me."

Shaking your head, you blew a laugh through your nose. "Don't worry about it. The joke came from my head after all."

"That, that's not... Hm. May I escort you home, Y/N? It's dark outside, and I dread to see you hurt."

"Huh? Yeah, sure. Why not."

The trip back to your apartment was uneventful, but serene. The usually busy streets seemed calmer than normal, and walking with Loki, even though he wasn't really there made you feel less lonely. Even safe.

"This is me," you said, gesturing vaguely to your front door.

"Good. I'll leave you to your cooking." Loki bowed his neck slightly.

You felt a pinprick of panic as you inserted the key into the lock. "Will I see you again?"

"Of course, if you want to. Just... call my name. I will be listening." With that, he turned and strode down the street.

Stuffing the key back into your pocket, you went in and closed the door behind you. Your heart was beating like a teenager in love, and butterflies wrought havoc in your stomach. "See you around, ghost," you whispered, feeling happier than you had in a long time.

The next afternoon, you thought you saw him behind the truck on the other side of the street, but still feeling the aftereffect of the day before, you continued on your way home with only a small hitch in the back of your throat. Even Loki wouldn't be able to extinguish the fire in your head today. It was a pounding headache that almost had you in tears.

He was waiting for you outside your flat, but your were so focused on your headache, you almost didn't see him.

"Hello," he said when you passed.

You stopped in your tracks, looking up from the tips of your boots. "Loki. Hey. How are you?"

Loki paused. He had never been asked that before. "Surprisingly well," he replied. "How are you?"

"Meh." 

"You need something to eat."

"How did you know?" you asked flatly.

He snorted. "Just a guess. May I... join you?"

"Come on in." You waved him through the door. "I was planning on making pizza for dinner, we can share it if you like." You laughed to yourself as you stomped into the kitchen, discarding coat and mittens along the way.

The medicine cabinet was painfully empty, and so was the freezer, warranting a loud groan.

Loki appeared around the corner with a concerned look in his face. "Is something wrong?"

You shook your head, but that made you dizzy, so you stopped. Instead you gestured to the open freezer door, demonstrating how empty it was, like a magician's assistant. "I just wanted an ice pack for my head. I don't know, a bag of peas would've worked." Dumping down on a kitchen chair, you rested your face in your hands.

Loki smiled. "Oh, nothing worse? I can fix that," he added, bumping the door shut with his shoulder. "May I?"

You looked up. He was standing so close to you, and with his hand stretched half-way out. He was very vivid for a hallucination. "Sure. You're all in my head. Can't hurt me. Not really."

Rolling his eyes, he put one hand on your forehead.

Within seconds, a wave of cold enveloped you, and you shivered. But the headache subsided. You sighed and swallowed the lump in your throat.  
Loki's face softened. "Hey, what's wrong?" His hand was soft on your shoulder.

"It's stupid," you replied, feeling the exhaustion creeping up your back. Loki raised one eyebrow. His gaze pierced you like an arrow. Somehow you knew he wouldn't think you stupid. "I'm just so goddamn tired. We're ridiculously understaffed at work, and for some reason I always end up with the extra work, but no extra time to do it." You knew very well why; you just couldn't say no, and your co-workers knew how to exploit that weakness like it was no tomorrow. 

"I could, you know, if you wanted to."

"Huh?" You were too mesmerised by him standing so close to follow what he was saying.

"Take you with me, like you asked the other day."

"Thank you, but I don't think the ghost in my mind can do anything other than give me a little bit of relief from work." 

"I am not a ghost," he said with a final caress of your cheek. "And I think you know that now."

The butterflies woke to life again. Your head swam, and if Loki hadn't found a chair, you would have fallen on your ass. He guided you down, and you tried your best to focus on your breathing. 

Once you got your sight back, you looked up and exhaled. "I do. Or... I hoped, but at the same time I didn't, you know what I mean? Why would you even talk to me? Right? It doesn't make sense."

"But it does. I've been listening to your prayers every evening, and I wanted to get to know you better."

"WHAT?"

He froze, then burst out laughing. "Hate to break it to you, but when you spoke my name, that prayer went straight to Heimdall, and he alerted me."

"Oh, gods, I'm so sorry!" He had heard everything. Had he heard everything? Your cheeks burned with the memory of a couple of especially private thoughts you hoped you hadn't spoken out loud. Wrapping your arms around your head, you tried to hide from Loki. Maybe if you closed your eyes hard enough, he would disappear.

"Hey, don't be embarrassed," he whispered, kneeling next to you. "It made me feel important. Wanted. So I should thank you, really."

Peeking through your fingers, you saw he was smiling. "But all I did was complain -"

"And rightly so. Those people don't treat you like you deserves."

"Yeah, well, that's partly my fault -"

"No it's not. They take advantage of you. If I didn't think it would bother you, I'd blow them to smithereens!"

"Thank you for the concern," you interrupted with a flustered grimace, "but that won't be necessary. Some of them aren't as horrible as I made them sound, and... they don't deserve to die just yet. Maybe a stern talking to or a lesson, but..." Wiping under your eyes, you sniffed, hoping it would be inaudible. The angry grunt from Loki told you it wasn't.

"Would you believe me if I said that I told my boss 'You have no idea how many calories I burn by putting up with your shit.'?" you asked to lighten the mood.  
Loki smiled, but he shook his head. "You're too nice to say something like that."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm not a confrontational person."

"Listen, why don't we make something to eat, huh? Everything feels easier on a full stomach."

Loki appeared at your door almost every evening after that. You made dinner, talked about everything and anything while you ate, and for the first time in years you felt seen.

It was the middle of December. Outside it was snowing heavily, but inside you managed to keep it warm and cosy despite the drafty window. 

"It's beautiful out when it's quiet like that," you muttered. "If only it could be like this every day."

Loki smiled and pulled your head onto his shoulder. You felt utterly safe, wishing it would never end. "It sounds like you need a vacation."

Swallowing hard to get rid of the hard lump in your throat, you let out a harsh laugh. "Yeah, or a new job." Just the idea alone made your shoulders feel several pounds lighter, but you soon plummeted back to reality. Jobs were scarce, especially since you needed more than a part-time position.

"They won't believe me, you know." You stared out the window at the falling snow.

Loki pulled you closer and rested his head on top of yours. "Who?"

"At... at work. They've been making fun of me constantly since... Gah! I wish I could just quit," you lamented, feeling you had had this conversation before.

"They have, have they?" He fell silent for a bit. "Why don't you?"

"What, quit?" Yeah, you had definitely had this conversation before.

"Mhm. It doesn't exactly make you happy."

"I need the job. I have to eat. And the flat isn't cheap to maintain. There's a lot I have to fix. And I have the mortgage to pay. I don't have enough savings to just walk away. Though," you added and sat up to look into his eyes, "I would if I could."

His face went blank and he was silent for a few minutes. Then he looked down and grinned. "What if I told you that I could help you?"

"What? How?"

His face lit up, sending fireworks through your brain. "Well. There's this little man who owes me a favour or two. He will give you a position in his company if you're willing to try it."

"Really? Who? Where?"

"Hm, Tony didn't say where, but -"

Your eyes narrowed. "Wait, Tony as in Tony Stark?"

Loki smirked. "Yes, is that a problem? I know he's got a reputation -"

It felt like you were floating. "Oh, not at all. It just didn't cross my mind. Are you sure he would let me work for him?"

He nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't propose something like this without discussing it with him first. When I showed your resumé he all but jumped out of his chair to come get you."

Punching Loki weakly in the arm, you stuck out your tongue. "Don't exaggerate."

"No, really. He'll be happy to have you on board. Just tell me when, and I'll set the machine in motion." 

"But..."

A wide grin spread over his face. "Don't you trust me?"

"Yes, but -"

"Then write your resignation. Unless you'd rather stay, of course."

You shook your head vehemently. "Not if I can help it."

"Good. It's settled, then. Tomorrow will be your last day at that wretched place."

When you walked in through the glass doors the next morning, your heart was in your throat. The resignation letter burned in your purse, you felt its weight at your side. But you pretended like everything was normal, and that nothing happened to prevent Loki from coming. Or, your brain sneered, that it was some sort of elaborate prank. Loki was the god of mischief after all.

No! You are not allowed to think like that, you sternly told yourself. Loki had been nothing but kind to you. ...But still... that tiny voice in your brain countered.

The morning crawled by. It felt like you'd entered the timeframe of a snail, but you did your best to finish the projects you were already working on, while carefully making sure you didn't start anything new. That way, if Loki didn't show, and the plan failed, you'd only be a little bit behind - nothing you couldn't fix with a few hours overtime.

The clock struck one, and most of the office got up to head to lunch. You joined them with excitement and anxiety warring in your chest. Clutching your purse tight, you followed the crowd to the break room, past the reception.

"Excuse me, Miss Y/N? There's a gentleman here to see you." Cathy the receptionist waved to you, stopping half the office as well. Your heart soared, and you felt the rush of air in your ears.

Loki greeted you with wiggly fingers, making you giggle. "Yes, I was sent by Stark Industries to pick you up. Tony was quite adamant that you should work for him. I do believe he has already paid you off your contract." He winked at you. "Y/N, my love, are you ready?" He smiled, holding out his hand for you.

Your heart skipped a beat, and you couldn't have kept the grin from your face even if you had fought it. "Yes," you replied, somewhat surprised at how breathy and foreign your voice sounded. "Just a moment. I just have to let my boss know." You fished the sealed envelope from your purse and found your boss in the crowd of onlookers that had gathered outside the break room.

"Christine, I quit!" You said it proudly, feeling weight lift off your shoulders with every syllable. "I won't be coming in tomorrow." Pressing the letter into her hand, you turned and all but skipped down the hall, acutely aware of every eye on your back.

"But... who will fix the transaction interface now?"

Waving over your shoulder, you didn't even bother to look back. "Not my problem anymore."

When you reached Loki, he put his arm around you, and you could have sworn you grew at least four inches.

The sun had chased the grey clouds away, and what had been a bleak city when you walked into work earlier now looked cheerful and vibrant.

With ten times lighter steps, you looked at Loki. "Thank you. Really, from the bottom of my heart. For letting me show everybody how easily I could just walk away from them. And for the job at Stark Industries... Wow. That's just... wow!" You grinned. "And 'my love'. That was a nice touch. Certainly left all my coworkers, oh, ex- coworkers, I should say, staring." Trying your best to ignore the ache that lurked in your chest, you still had to address it.

Loki stopped. He spun you around so the two of you stood face to face. "I said nothing but the truth."

Your jaw dropped. "Uh..."

"Did I misunderstand your feelings? The love and care from our evenings together?" A trace of hurt flitted over his face.

"Wh... what? No! I, I just... never knew you might feel -"

"Y/N! We've been dating, as I believe you mortals call it, for months. How could you not know my intentions?"

It took a few seconds to find your voice. "You've never... We haven't... And we haven't talked about it, I assumed you were just being friendly."

Loki barked out a laugh. "Friendly! Y/N, I am never just friendly. And I know we've never spoken about it, but taking your prayers into account, I would think it was obvious -"

What he was saying finally sunk in, and now it was your turn to laugh. You felt like you were floating. "It wasn't," you replied with a mischievous smile. "Out of the two of us, only one has telepathic abilities, and I know for a fact that it isn't me."

Realisation spread across Loki's face. "Oh. Right. Well then, I would like to make it clear that you, my love, are the one I've been searching for, and that I have every intention of making you mine. Do I have your permission?"

"Cheesy, much?" you muttered under your breath, but out loud you answered: "I'm already yours."


End file.
